Aideen's Answer

~Chapter Twenty-Nine~

Garrett could feel her hand shaking upon his arm as they stepped out of the library. Perhaps asking her to go out like this, directly after what must certainly have been a trying ordeal for her, was not the best idea he had ever had. He cleared his throat awkwardly, and felt his heart speed up a bit as she turned to him with those luminous blue eyes. Gracious, he had never seen such a bright, beautiful blue!
"Er, Princess Aideen?"
"Yes?"
He cleared his throat again. Blast it all, he was behaving like a school boy! Why was it suddenly so difficult to speak to this woman?
'Must be her beauty,' He thought, 'That would do it to any man!'
He abruptly realized that he was staring like a fool, and felt heat stain his cheeks for the first time since his teens.
'Pull yourself together, Garrett!' He told himself roughly.
"Princess, are you quite all right? I am sure that it must have been extremely difficult to relay all to your parents, much less with an outsider such as myself intruding upon such a private moment. Would you rather I escort you back to your room? We could tour the gardens another day, I am sure. Tomorrow, perhaps?" Garrett exhaled deeply. There, he had made it through with out a stutter.
'Miraculous,' He thought wryly.
Aideen was staring at him, quite taken aback. Frankly, her first impression of this prince was that he was no different than the dozens others that she had to fraternize with, given her status. They were usually pompous, selfish and most completely full of themselves. But now here he was, acting kind, considerate and, could it be, sweet? This would take some mulling over...
"After all, I am sure that was quite exhausting for you,"
Aideen realized with a small start that Garrett was speaking once again, and hastily pulled herself back into the conversation.
"A rest in your quarters may be just what you need?"
"That is very kind of you, sir, but I think some fresh air would be even better." After all, she had no desire to go back to brooding alone in her room any sooner than she had to.
A small smile touched Garretts lips as he looked down on her.
"As you wish," He answered softly.
And he led them down the sweeping staircase and out the door, into the bright sunlight.

                *~*~*~*~*~*~*

The prince and princess strolled through the ground leisurely, as if they had all the time in the world. Queen Cara had always loved flowers and so the gardens were extensive, as well as a beauty to behold. They talked of many things, whatever came to their minds, as they walked. And sometimes, they would not speak at all, but merely wandered in companionable silence.
"These gardens are exquisite," Garrett commented as he reached out to touch a small, deep red bloom.
"Mamas pride and joy," Aideen answered with a smile. "You have found the patch of orchids, they are some of my favorites."
"Only some? Just how many favorite flowers do you have?"
Her laughter filled the air for a moment and Garrett paused, enjoying the sound.
"One can not grow up in the care of flower lover such as my mother and not have multiple favorite blooms. But orchids, lilies, roses, and irises are among the top favorites."
"This place is truly amazing," Garrett said softly. "It must have taken years and much work to make it what it is today."
"Indeed, you are correct," Aideen smiled. "There are flowers from all around the world in these gates." She swept her arm around as she spoke.
"Do your parents travel that extensively? I had no idea," Garrett answered.
"No, they do not travel much if they can help it. But most people know of the queens hobby, and many foreign dignitaries have brought her blooms, said hoping to endear themselves to her." She chuckled, then looked around a bit and pointed to a peculiar looking patch of flowers, each had a yellow middle and yellow petals with a single red stripe down the middle of each petal. "Those are African daisies, brought Prince Avi, I believe, nice man. He gave Mother a whole packet of the seeds." She turned around and showed him a clump of large round, almost pouffy blue flowers. "Those light blue, disc-shaped ones? Those are Russian Asters, brought to us by a visiting minister. He gave Mama a single bloom, and now she has many!" A smile lit Aideens face as she gazed around, and Garrett could not help but stare. "Mother says that they are signs of friendship, beautiful, do you not agree?"
"Yes, beautiful," Garrett murmured, as he watched her.
Not wanting to be caught staring, he looked around once again, spotted a stone bench near by and led them to it. Aideen settled herself gracefully and he plunked down beside her. She put her head in her hands and gazed out at the flowers, unaware that Garrett was gazing at her.
"Is it not wonderful and amazing to think, that of all this beauty, it is only a fraction of what exists in the world? How could it even be possible for there to be so much wonder?"
"Well, God made it for enjoyment, of course," Garrett answered easily. "For ours as well as His own, I would think."
"God," Aideen said in a strained whisper.
"Well, yes," Garrett said, looking at her in confusion. "Do you not believe that God created all things?"
"Why, yes, of course I do! But," Aideen bit her lip and looked away.
"But?" Garrett prompted her.
"How can we know?!" She burst out. "I know God created heaven and earth, but how do we know that He is still watching, that he still cares? What if He just left us to our own decisions now? Perhaps He trusts that He gave us each a brain and now we must shape our own destiny."
"With all my heart, I would hope that you are wrong. But I need not hope, I can know. For if God left us alone, what a miserable existence that would be! How lonely, to go about our life without our Savior! Jesus did not die on the cross for us to make our way in the world alone. He died to free us from our sin, and to make us new! New creatures, truly alive for the first time. For only by Jesus dying can we truly live. He took our sin upon Himself and paid the penalty so that we do not have to. Do you think He would give His own life for people that he never intended to be with, to make His own? No, He died so that we could be made into His children. Children to live with Him in our hearts here on earth, and children to live with Him forever in heaven. He said Himself in the book of Jeremiah,"
Aideens head popped up to look at him now, but he continued, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord." Garrett was surprised to hear Aideens voice join his, but he hid it and kept going. "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope, and a future."
"God has never broken a promise, Aideen, and He is not going to start now," Garrett said softly.
He looked at her and was slightly shocked to see tears pooling in her eyes. Garrett could not resist reaching out to cup her cheek.
"Aideen," he whispered, "He is calling out for you. Just say yes, and lean into His everlasting arms."
Aideen jumped up from the bench, "I must go," She said breathlessly, "Thank you for the walk, I need to go inside now. Enrique will see me to my room."
And with that, she turned and fled.
Garrett watched her go with a heavy heart, he had been so sure that she would let go, and give in to the call of God.
Be still and know that I am God.
His heart whispered to him. Garrett smiled and heeded what he was sure the Lord was trying to tell him. He bowed his head, and began to pray.